Why are there two distinct political ideologies?

[BOBO]

We have conservatives (republicans) and liberals (democrats) and it appears that everyone is polarized one way or the other--why?

[dude]

Because they are two fundamentally different value systems and ways of looking at the world. Before the 1960's, the gap was not as wide. The whole 60's counter-culture brought a whole different ideology to the country. It is an ideology that I greatly oppose and it is very different then my own, hence I am a Conservative.

[J]

haha. It's interesting that you should bring this up because we were just talking about this in my comparative politics class.
Yes, historically, the United States (and I'm assuming you're referring to the U.S.) has had a two party system. But I don't think we're polarized. Not at all.

So, I'll give you two answers. One being why I think we've had two party systems and why we're NOT polarized.

The United States is kind of weird in that its political culture doesn't question its regime. And by political culture, I mean all the values and ideas our population has towards authority. While we may question certain policies and actions, have you ever heard of somebody trying to protest against the Constitution? It's just unheard of.
After so much time, we've grown to accept that regime which has endured now for over 200 years. And a two party system has always been associated with that.

I mean, you have to think about it, we've had republicans and democrats ever since the end of the Civil War. The only thing that has changed is what they stand for. Those parties are as American as apple pie.

Third parties exist, don't get me wrong, and they have a decent amount of followers, but they do not hold the degree of authority that the Republicans and the Democrats have.

Now, on to the other issue. Polarization. This is precisely what we were talking about today in class. Current statistics have been showing that party identification has been waning ever since the 2000 election.
In 2000, you sort of saw it. Since then, it has really gone up though. Currently, we have the largest amount of undecided voters in... ever. If this continues and it becomes a trend, then it's very likely that we'll see a realignment of dealignment of parties.

[Bigsky_52]

I think there are actually four distinct political ideologies, and they're all based on what you think the government's role in society ought to be. Government can affect us, and our freedoms, in two main ways. The first are laws outlawing our actions. This is known as social regulation, and takes into account things such as gay marriage, drug laws, flag burning, abortion, etc. The second way they affect us is through our pocketbook, with taxation and regulation. This is where you would have issues such as progressive taxation, tax rates, welfare (both corporate and individual), environmental regulations, affirmative action, unions, etc. If you can figure out how much regulation you think it is the government's DUTY to provide for each of the two mechanisms you can figure out which of the four ideologies best suits you.

If you favor lots of social regulation and little economic regulation you are a conservative. Conservatives tend to favor economic freedom, but frequently support laws to restrict personal behavior that violates "traditional values." They oppose excessive government control of business, while endorsing government action to defend morality and the traditional family structure. Conservatives usually support a strong military, oppose bureaucracy and high taxes, favor a free-market economy, and endorse strong law enforcement. They are usually republican, although not always. They can also be found in the Constitution and Reform parties.

If you favor lots of economic regulation but little social regulation you are a liberal. Liberals usually embrace freedom of choice in personal matters, but tend to support significant government control of the economy. They generally support a government-funded "safety net"
to help the disadvantaged, and advocate strict regulation of business. Liberals tend to favor environmental regulations,
defend civil liberties and free expression, support government action to promote equality, and tolerate diverse lifestyles. Liberals usually vote democratic, although not always. They can also be found in the Green, Reform, and Socialist parties.

If you support minimum regulation you're a libertarian. Libertarians support maximum liberty in both personal and
economic matters. They advocate a much smaller government; one that is limited to protecting individuals from coercion and violence. Libertarians tend to embrace individual responsibility, oppose government bureaucracy and taxes, promote private charity, tolerate diverse lifestyles, support the free market, and defend civil liberties. Libertarians are usually Libertarians, although you'll find them in the republican and democratic parties as well.

If you want the government to handle everything then you're a statist. Statists want government to have a great deal of power over the economy and individual behavior. They frequently doubt whether economic liberty and individual freedom are practical options in today's world. Statists tend to distrust the free market, support high taxes and centralized
planning of the economy, oppose diverse lifestyles, and question the importance of civil liberties. Statists can be found in all parties, as they view politics as simply a tool to impose their will.

They system in America is not officially two party, but it works that way in practice. As such people are given a choice between being a republican (conservative) or a democrat (liberal). Even when they oppose major parts of the party's platform. When you identify with something, however, it has a tendency to worm into your brain. As such many moderates become more and more extreme the longer and more associated with the party they become. It doesn't help that all the media we're subjected to portrays it as one or the other, good vs. evil. So people become polarized, except for the few that really are Libertarians or Statists.